Water in residential swimming pools is continuously filtered to remove debris, including airborne material such as fallen leaves and other tree droppings, insects, and material brought into the pool by the swimmer such as hair and lint. The typical pool has a water intake line which draws water from at least the surface of the pool and often from the bottom of the pool as well. The water at the surface level is initially pulled into a skimmer, through a skimmer basket, through a primary filter apparatus, and finally returned to the pool. Sand or diatomaceous earth are common filter medias used in the primary filter apparatus. Periodically, the filter media becomes clogged and must be replaced. The pool owner must disassemble the filter apparatus, remove the filter media, discard the filter media, add fresh filter media to the filter apparatus, and reassemble the filter apparatus. This can easily take up to an hour.
An auxiliary filter assembly to lessen or even eliminate the current necessity of periodic replacing the filter media in the filter apparatus is described in my U.S. Pat. No. 6,007,714. The product has proven itself effective for its intended use. Those who have used it have attested to its ability to filter out much pool debris prior to the debris reaching the primary filter apparatus. Necessarily, less debris in the primary filter apparatus means it can be used longer prior to a need to replace its filter media. A full summer of pool use without changing the filter media is often experienced and is much appreciated by the pool owner.
As successful as my auxiliary filter assembly of U.S. Pat. No. 6,007,714 has been, it can be and has been improved upon. The pool skimmer pre-filter of this invention is cheaper to manufacture and easier to use, all the while being as effective. The pre-filter of the invention effectively filters a significant amount of debris from the swimming pool water before it reaches the pool's primary filter assembly. The pre-filter is very conveniently cleaned and reused. The pool owner now has a cost effective means to keep the pool water clean with minimal effort.